What would it be like if the parts of your body could talk to each other? Well, in this story they do!
It all started one night, when the hands, feet, arms, and legs were very sore from working so hard all day. The owner of the body was a boy. He liked to run, jump, skip, hop, and play from morning until night. So these body parts had been very busy, and now they were tired out.
They complained, “This boy is too much. All he wants to do is make us work, all day long. He never sits still or lies down until after dinner. We’re exhausted and sore!” They talked like this for a while. Then they started getting upset with the stomach, better known as the belly.
“Hey, Belly,” the hands called. “Why don’t you do more? All you do is stay in the same place all the time. We have to move the body around here and there, and it’s hard work. It’s just not fair.”
The belly replied, “I work, too. When the boy eats, I digest his food, which isn’t as easy as you think. Why, if I didn’t do my job, you wouldn’t move at all, since you can’t move without energy from the food the boy eats.”
The arms responded, “You mean we wouldn’t have to do anything at all if you shut down?”
The belly answered, “That’s right. Do you want me to try that?”
The members of the body discussed this, and all agreed to go ahead with the plan. At first, the body parts were happy, since the boy wasn’t going anywhere anymore. His doctor made him rest in bed. Without the stomach’s help, the boy got sicker and sicker. The hands, feet, arms, and legs got weaker, too, and couldn’t move at all anymore. After a while, they felt like they were dying.
They said to the belly, “Please do your job. We were wrong. We all need to work together. If you don’t do your important job, we will surely perish!”
The belly started doing his job again, and the boy got better within three days. He went outside again to play on the fourth day.
The hands, feet, legs, and arms cheered: “Hooray!”
The belly said to himself, “Well, I hope they learned their lesson! Every part of the body does important work!”
LESSON PLAN
OBJECTIVES
Cognitive: Students will understand the importance of teamwork and cooperation in the family, school, community, and in nature. They will respect their own bodies. They will see that every member of these groups has a part to play, so every member is valuable.
Affective: Students will feel good about themselves and their bodies as they explore how every member of a group is important.
Behavioral: Students will demonstrate more understanding of the value of teamwork and cooperation. They will show more respect for each member of a group—on a team, in a class, and in their families.
Class Session 1
Read the story to the children and show them the illustration. Ask them, "Did you learn something from this story? What?" Affirm any accurate answers and state that the lesson is about teamwork and cooperation.
Review the story through questioning, "Why were the hands, feet, arms, and legs complaining? Why were they angry with the belly? What is the belly’s job? Did the other members understand the importance of the belly and how much they needed the belly’s efforts so they could keep healthy? What happened when the stomach didn’t do its job? Why did the body members beg the stomach to do its job again?"
Explain that when all the parts of the body do their jobs, then a person is healthy. Explain that some parts of the body are big; some are small; some are visible; some we can't see; yet all the parts of our bodies work really hard to keep us going everyday.
Suggest that everyone thank their bodies for doing such a great job. Lead them in three cheers: “Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!"
Encourage students to remember this story and to take care of all the parts of their bodies by practicing good health habits. Ask them to name good health habits while you write them on the board. Examples are: get plenty of sleep, exercise, drinks lots of clean water, eat nutritious food everyday, keep clean with a daily shower or bath, wash hands before meals, after using the bathroom, and after petting an animal, and brush the teeth at least twice a day. It would be good to discuss each of these habits and why they are important to good health.
Class Session 2
Explain to the class, "You are part of two very important groups, which are your family and your class at school. We want to be able to remind ourselves to respect and appreciate each member of these groups. Every member is important, just like each part of the body is important. When we respect and appreciate all the people in our families and classes, we create something called harmony and unity. Harmony and unity are when all the members of a group are working together. There is always a good feeling present when there is harmony and unity."
If students write well, have them take out a piece of paper and pencil and list their family members. If not, this can be done in a discussion format. As each member of the family is listed, ask, "What does each person do to make the family special? Let’s talk about that. For example, maybe the father of the family knows how to fix things when they’re broken. Perhaps the mother does most of the cooking, and the older sister helps her. Maybe older brothers and sisters walk the younger ones to school and help with homework. Younger siblings are fun to play with, and they make you laugh. Maybe you help with some of the chores. Even a pet can be a special part of a family! How many of you have pets? What does a pet add to a family?"
When they are through discussing these points, emphasize how each of us has something to contribute. When we do, it makes our family harmonious and special.
As a class, you could do a "Compliment Relay." You begin at one side of the room with the first person in the first row. This person has to turn to the person in back of him or her and pay a sincere compliment. Then that person has to turn to the person in back of him or her and do the same. If students are stuck thinking of compliments, invite other members of the class to think of complimentary things about the student, or supply a compliment yourself. Go all around the room once, so that everyone gets a compliment.
It all started one night, when the hands, feet, arms, and legs were very sore from working so hard all day. The owner of the body was a boy. He liked to run, jump, skip, hop, and play from morning until night. So these body parts had been very busy, and now they were tired out.
They complained, “This boy is too much. All he wants to do is make us work, all day long. He never sits still or lies down until after dinner. We’re exhausted and sore!” They talked like this for a while. Then they started getting upset with the stomach, better known as the belly.
“Hey, Belly,” the hands called. “Why don’t you do more? All you do is stay in the same place all the time. We have to move the body around here and there, and it’s hard work. It’s just not fair.”
The belly replied, “I work, too. When the boy eats, I digest his food, which isn’t as easy as you think. Why, if I didn’t do my job, you wouldn’t move at all, since you can’t move without energy from the food the boy eats.”
The arms responded, “You mean we wouldn’t have to do anything at all if you shut down?”
The belly answered, “That’s right. Do you want me to try that?”
The members of the body discussed this, and all agreed to go ahead with the plan. At first, the body parts were happy, since the boy wasn’t going anywhere anymore. His doctor made him rest in bed. Without the stomach’s help, the boy got sicker and sicker. The hands, feet, arms, and legs got weaker, too, and couldn’t move at all anymore. After a while, they felt like they were dying.
They said to the belly, “Please do your job. We were wrong. We all need to work together. If you don’t do your important job, we will surely perish!”
The belly started doing his job again, and the boy got better within three days. He went outside again to play on the fourth day.
The hands, feet, legs, and arms cheered: “Hooray!”
The belly said to himself, “Well, I hope they learned their lesson! Every part of the body does important work!”
LESSON PLAN
OBJECTIVES
Cognitive: Students will understand the importance of teamwork and cooperation in the family, school, community, and in nature. They will respect their own bodies. They will see that every member of these groups has a part to play, so every member is valuable.
Affective: Students will feel good about themselves and their bodies as they explore how every member of a group is important.
Behavioral: Students will demonstrate more understanding of the value of teamwork and cooperation. They will show more respect for each member of a group—on a team, in a class, and in their families.
Class Session 1
Read the story to the children and show them the illustration. Ask them, "Did you learn something from this story? What?" Affirm any accurate answers and state that the lesson is about teamwork and cooperation.
Review the story through questioning, "Why were the hands, feet, arms, and legs complaining? Why were they angry with the belly? What is the belly’s job? Did the other members understand the importance of the belly and how much they needed the belly’s efforts so they could keep healthy? What happened when the stomach didn’t do its job? Why did the body members beg the stomach to do its job again?"
Explain that when all the parts of the body do their jobs, then a person is healthy. Explain that some parts of the body are big; some are small; some are visible; some we can't see; yet all the parts of our bodies work really hard to keep us going everyday.
Suggest that everyone thank their bodies for doing such a great job. Lead them in three cheers: “Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hip, hip, hooray!"
Encourage students to remember this story and to take care of all the parts of their bodies by practicing good health habits. Ask them to name good health habits while you write them on the board. Examples are: get plenty of sleep, exercise, drinks lots of clean water, eat nutritious food everyday, keep clean with a daily shower or bath, wash hands before meals, after using the bathroom, and after petting an animal, and brush the teeth at least twice a day. It would be good to discuss each of these habits and why they are important to good health.
Class Session 2
Explain to the class, "You are part of two very important groups, which are your family and your class at school. We want to be able to remind ourselves to respect and appreciate each member of these groups. Every member is important, just like each part of the body is important. When we respect and appreciate all the people in our families and classes, we create something called harmony and unity. Harmony and unity are when all the members of a group are working together. There is always a good feeling present when there is harmony and unity."
If students write well, have them take out a piece of paper and pencil and list their family members. If not, this can be done in a discussion format. As each member of the family is listed, ask, "What does each person do to make the family special? Let’s talk about that. For example, maybe the father of the family knows how to fix things when they’re broken. Perhaps the mother does most of the cooking, and the older sister helps her. Maybe older brothers and sisters walk the younger ones to school and help with homework. Younger siblings are fun to play with, and they make you laugh. Maybe you help with some of the chores. Even a pet can be a special part of a family! How many of you have pets? What does a pet add to a family?"
When they are through discussing these points, emphasize how each of us has something to contribute. When we do, it makes our family harmonious and special.
As a class, you could do a "Compliment Relay." You begin at one side of the room with the first person in the first row. This person has to turn to the person in back of him or her and pay a sincere compliment. Then that person has to turn to the person in back of him or her and do the same. If students are stuck thinking of compliments, invite other members of the class to think of complimentary things about the student, or supply a compliment yourself. Go all around the room once, so that everyone gets a compliment.